Comments for The Book's the Thinghttps://thebooksthething.wordpress.com
Adventures of a LibrarianWed, 01 Jun 2011 03:56:54 +0000hourly1http://wordpress.com/Comment on Happy Drop Everything and Read Day (D.E.A.R.) ! by Happy Drop Everything and Read Day (D.E.A.R.) ! | EAST MEETS WEST BOOKShttps://thebooksthething.wordpress.com/2011/04/12/happy-drop-everything-and-read-day-d-e-a-r/#comment-280
Wed, 01 Jun 2011 03:56:54 +0000http://thebooksthething.wordpress.com/?p=949#comment-280[…] The Book’s the Thing This entry was posted in Book News and tagged Book News, books, new, reading, writers. Bookmark […]
]]>Comment on IMPAC Dublin Award Finalists by Seamus Byrnehttps://thebooksthething.wordpress.com/2011/04/12/impac-dublin-award-finalists/#comment-278
Mon, 23 May 2011 16:38:47 +0000http://thebooksthething.wordpress.com/?p=956#comment-278Lisa, here’s the next best thing to Ireland in June – meet Colm Toibin on June 3rd at the University Club in Chicago, on the eve of his public appearnce at the Printers Row Lit Fest. Ireland Network Chicago is hosting this private reception starting at 6PM, and we have a limited number of places available to non-members who have a real interest in meeting Colm. You can see the details at http://www.theirelandnetwork.com.

Please note that we’re happy to extend the IN-Chicago Member Rate for this event to those with an interest ($60 including hors d’ouevre and open bar, compared to non-member rate of $75). To avail of this, those wishing to attend can simply click on the event at http://www.theirelandnetwork.com, then use the “Partner Registration” option and enter this event code when prompted: IN-Partner-060311. Thanks and feel free to share this with interested others.

Best,
Seamus Byrne
Ireland Network Chicago

]]>Comment on How HarperCollins plans to squeeze libraries by Maurice J. Freedmanhttps://thebooksthething.wordpress.com/2011/03/02/how-harpercollins-plans-to/#comment-239
Fri, 25 Mar 2011 10:45:56 +0000http://thebooksthething.wordpress.com/?p=831#comment-239Harper-Collins and the Boycott of Its E-Books–Revised

Interestingly, the New York Times article (March 15, 2011) on the boycott by libraries of Harper-Collins e-books omitted two fundamental points:

With e-books, the publishers have eliminated paper, printing, binding, distribution and returns by publishing books electronically–thus dramatically reducing their publication costs. Publishing everything in e-book format was their dream because of the reduced costs to the publisher. This view was expressed by Jack Romanos, then head of Simon & Schuster, at an e-books conference in Washington about 10 years ago. Not having to share profits with Baker & Taylor, etc. and the few remaining bookstores make e-books a great product and a money-maker. I don’t know the per cent Overdrive and other e-book firms pay for the right to distribute e-books, but–intuitively, at least–it would net far more money for the publisher given the whole B&T-like apparatus required to fulfill orders for physical books, offices for selectors & buyers and warehousing, plus selling and physically distributing the books. to libraries or its other customers..

2. The first-sale doctrine and what it guarantees for libraries

Clearly Harper-Collins (a Rupert Murdock-owned subsidiary of his News Corporation) wants not only to pocket all of these savings, but take away the benefits of the first-sale doctrine (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First-sale_doctrine) U.S. libraries have always enjoyed via the device of a license. Specifically the first-sale doctrine means that if a library buys a book, it is free to circulate it as often as it chooses without any per usage charge, royalty, or externally imposed limitation. Harper-Collins wants to limit library e-books to 26 circulations–thus abridging the right of the first-sale doctrine. It knows it is not illegal because libraries aren’t “purchasing” the e-book, they’re acquiring a limited use license to circulate it. However Harper-Collins is the only publisher of which we are aware that wants to limit the libraries’ use, i.e. 26 circs.

The libraries can choose to view the license as not affecting the right of first purchase and boycott those vendors–beginning with Harper-Collins–that set limits on circulations via the license device.

This is why I strongly advocate and support the Harper-Collins boycott. Circumventing the 1st-sale doctrine via the license agreement does not mean that libraries have to accept the license provisions. There is nothing to stop libraries applying the spirit of the 1st sale doctrine in their e-book procurements.

Simply, libraries should only enter into agreements for e-book licenses which provide unlimited circulations.

Forgive the cliché, but Harper-Collins is the proverbial camel getting its nose in the tent. If libraries accede to license-limiting circulation; it is not too great a leap to think–once the precedent is established—that other e-book publishers will follow.

In the article’s concluding paragraph, I was disappointed with the librarian who said that ultimately some accommodation would have to be made between e-book publishers and libraries.

There is no middle ground on this issue. E.g. There can be no middle ground or compromise between the conflicting positions that the Earth was created in 7 days and is 6,000 years old according to creationists (http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/2007/05/30/how-old-is-earth); and the position of modern science that asserts that the Earth is over 4 billion years old (http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/dalrymple/scientific_age_earth.html). The contentions are mutually exclusive. There is no splitting the difference or accommodation which can be made regarding these polar opposite positions. Which is how I see the Harper-Collins licenses. There is no compromise between unlimited and limited.

Librarians must stand rock solid against any proposition that would imperil the libraries’ unlimited circulation of e-books.

The principle that has always applied to printed book purchases must be applied to e-books. There is no reason we can’t subject e-book licenses to that condition.

I urge all librarians to not enter into licenses with Harper-Collins or any other publisher that wants to limit the number of library circulations.

]]>Comment on What book groups read in 2010 by Simon Thttps://thebooksthething.wordpress.com/2011/03/22/what-book-groups-read-in-2010/#comment-236
Tue, 22 Mar 2011 17:56:29 +0000http://thebooksthething.wordpress.com/?p=875#comment-236We’ve done five of these in my bookgroups… so not doing badly 🙂 Nice to see To Kill A Mockingbird there.
]]>Comment on Borders. And so it begins. by Anthony Molarohttps://thebooksthething.wordpress.com/2011/03/17/borders-and-so-it-begins/#comment-229
Fri, 18 Mar 2011 02:30:32 +0000http://thebooksthething.wordpress.com/?p=868#comment-229Lisa,
Yes Amanda charges .99 to 3.99. Amazon charges a fee of 30% which is really pretty good, all things considered.

Again, thanks for a great blog post!

]]>Comment on Borders. And so it begins. by thebooksthethinghttps://thebooksthething.wordpress.com/2011/03/17/borders-and-so-it-begins/#comment-228
Fri, 18 Mar 2011 01:46:00 +0000http://thebooksthething.wordpress.com/?p=868#comment-228Hi, Anthony,

Thanks for the great points. Re: Amanda Hocking, is she one of the authors offering her books at 99cents, so she doesn’t have to pay commission to Amazon? I recall reading something about those 99 cent books. Will have to investigate.

My understanding re: musicians is this is only getting worse. I don’t know what impact this will have in the future, but it is a huge rip off and a real problem.

I know a huge percentage of books never make back their advances, and I’m not sure how much authors get paid for appearances. Aside from library appearances, which cover travel, etc., and are generally at reduced rates. But they seem to travel only when they have a new book out, or it comes out in paperback. Definitely not something you get into for the money. Like being a librarian, speaking of!

You’ve given me a lot to think about. Thanks for that.

Lisa

]]>Comment on Borders. And so it begins. by Anthony Molarohttps://thebooksthething.wordpress.com/2011/03/17/borders-and-so-it-begins/#comment-227
Thu, 17 Mar 2011 23:52:43 +0000http://thebooksthething.wordpress.com/?p=868#comment-227Lisa,

This is a great post. I do have one comment. You state “Recording artists are also having their works pirated, downloaded for absolutely free online, cutting their profits to the bone. Once books go all electronic the same will happen with them, you can bet on it. Writers who’re unable to live off writing proceeds alone will have that much less incentive to write – assuming they’re not in it for the love of the art itself. What will happen to the publishing industry? As goes music, soon will follow books.”

Have you thought about what the publishers have done to the industry? The use of eBooks allows author like Amanda Hocking to make millions without paying a penny to publishers, agents, lawyers etc… Moreover, I am not aware of any musician who has quit as a result of pirating. My guess is that they actually make more because musicians and authors don’t make much form the sale of their work but from endorsements, speaking and so forth.

They didn’t give me that info, unfortunately. I’d just keep an eye out for your local theatres, and maybe give some of the bigger ones a call to see if they’ll tell you if they’re one of the selected theatres.

If I run across the info I’ll post it.

Lisa

]]>Comment on Opening March 11, 2011 – Jane Eyre by Paula Kate Meserolehttps://thebooksthething.wordpress.com/2011/02/22/opening-march-11-2011-selected-theatres-jane-eyre/#comment-210
Tue, 22 Feb 2011 23:41:36 +0000http://thebooksthething.wordpress.com/?p=791#comment-210I live in the Nashville, Tennessee area. Can you tell me what theaters have been selected to show Jane Eyre for the March 11, 2011 opening?
Thank you.
]]>